Vows
by Yami Yue
Summary: Sequel to Morning After. Wedding bells are in the air for Hiei and Kurama, but will an unexpected discovery ruin their plans?
1. Chapter 1

Vows

by Yami Yue

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Chapter One

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I awoke to the early light of an approaching dawn. I sighed as my eyes slowly opened and my fox was not there beside me. It had been about a month since I had last seen him. I smiled as I gently touched the ring on my finger. That visit had been a magical one for me. I had given him my body that night and promised him my heart forever the next morning. I still found it hard to believe that I would soon have a mate.

I got out of bed and immediately I felt sick to my stomach. I made a mad dash for the bathroom. What little had been in my stomach forced itself out and once my stomach was empty I knelt there over the bowl mouth wide open, my stomach trying to force the very air out of it. When my stomach finally calmed and I was able to wipe my mouth and flush away the mess, I stood shakily to my feet. "What the hell was that?" was the first thought that crossed my mind.

As a general rule demons get very few illnesses. I had been lucky enough to have experienced few of them. This was different from any of those illnesses. Feeling better, I rinsed my mouth to rid myself of the vile taste and began getting ready for the day.

Breakfast was a noisy affair as usual with the others on border patrol talking, laughing and joking among themselves while they ate. After being greeted by several of my teammates I found an empty seat and sat down. I was quickly served my breakfast. I picked up my fork ready to dig in, but the nausea from earlier returned with a vengeance.

Whatever this was wasn't going away quickly.

I frowned and drank my tea instead. The tea seemed to soothe my nausea. I had a second cup before attempting to eat my meal. Thankfully my stomach seemed to settle down enough for me to eat my breakfast, I just hoped that my breakfast would stay down.

For the next three days it was a constant battle to keep my food down as my nausea plagued me day and night. At my wits end, I finally decided to seek out Kairi, one of the healers Mukuro employed for various reasons. She had treated me for various wounds and injuries I'd received while on border patrol duty. I found her to be trustworthy as well as a kind and competent healer. Over the years she had become a friend and the only healer I would allow to treat me for anything but a minor scrape or wound. "Lord Hiei, what brings you here to see me?" Kairi asked curiously as she admitted me into her office one evening. "Why do you think?" I replied, earning a roll of the eyes from the healer. "You know what I mean," she said. "Stomach issues," I told her as I took a seat on the examining table and she sat down at a desk.

I told her of the nausea and vomiting that I had been experiencing. She listened very carefully as I described my symptoms only asking questions when she needed more information. Once I had finished talking, Kairi motioned for me to lie down and began to examine me.

I felt her energy wash over me as she used her abilities to see what was going on within me. When she was done, there was a slight frown upon her face. "What is it?" I asked, knowing from her reaction that this was not minor. "I'm not sure," she said. "There's an abnormal amount of cell growth in your lower abdomen," she began. "There doesn't seem to be anything else out of the ordinary," she assured me.

Kairi went over to the cabinet and began pulling out various containers of dried herbs. I watched as she took herbs from several containers and added them to a stone bowl. Using a long thick stone she ground them all together into a fine powder and then carefully put the concoction into a container.

"I want you to try a pinch of this before you get out of bed in the morning and if you feel nauseous as the day goes on," Kairi instructed. "I'll need you to come back next week so I can examine you again to see if there's any change in that growth. If you feel worse or don't feel any better come see me right away," she added. I nodded.

Kairi's herbs did in fact make me feel better. The nausea quickly became tolerable and I was easily keeping my meals down. As the days passed I began to realize that I was hungrier than usual. Gradually, I began to eat more and became fatigued more easily. I began to wonder if this growth Kairi found was the cause of all my problems.

That next week Kairi examined me again, but this time instead of a frown there was a look of utter confusion. Worried, I sat up and looked her strait in the eye. "What is it?" I demanded. "The growth I saw last week is bigger," she said. "You still don't know what it is?" I asked her. "Well that's just it, I think I know what it is, but it shouldn't be possible," Kairi answered. "What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Lord Hiei, I've only seen this in females," she told me. "Pregnant females," she added. "What the hell are you babbling about?" I hissed. "The growth I saw, was a baby," she told me. I stared at her with wide eyes. "You're saying I'm _pregnant_?" I asked in disbelief. Very slowly she nodded. "It appears that way. Judging by the size I'd say you're about five or six weeks along," she said. "Are you sure?" I demanded. "Not one hundred percent. It will still be a few more weeks before I can be absolutely certain, but I still don't see how it's possible," Kairi said.

Over the next few weeks I did feel better and I began to gain weight. It just added to my suspicion that Kairi's diagnosis was correct that I was indeed pregnant. It explained the sickness, hunger, weight gain, and the fact that I was becoming moodier than usual.

Although Kairi didn't know how it could be possible, I did. I was half ice apparition and it was possible that I possessed the same ability that allowed them to reproduce, only it appeared I needed Kurama's help.

Still, I was apprehensive when Kairi examined me a few weeks later and gave me a final verdict. My eyes watched her face as she examined me, the wonder and surprise I had seen there before reappeared and I felt my stomach knot in dread. My heart pounded in my ears as Kairi nodded her head. "I don't know how it's possible but you're pregnant Lord Hiei," she said.

How the hell was I going to tell Kurama that I was _pregnant_, with _his_ child?

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Looks like Hiei is in a bit of a bind. Will Hiei find a way to tell the Fox his secret? How will Kurama react? Find out in the next chapter.

Please leave a review.

- Yami

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	2. Chapter 2

Vows

by Yami Yue

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Chapter Two

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That night as I lay in bed, I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't know anything about children and I was carrying one of my own. Kurama and I hadn't even _talked_ about children. What if he didn't want to be a father?

I placed my hand over my abdomen. If Kurama didn't want children what was I going to do then? Could I raise this child on my own? Would I be able to find someone who was worthy of taking my child in to raise in my place? Would I be able to ask Kairi to remove the child growing within me?

Over and over I weighed the options in my mind. By the time dawn came, I decided that I couldn't ask Kairi to remove the child from me. I knew that I would feel guilty if I did so. I would see myself as no better than the bitches that attempted to murder me as a babe. No, I would have to raise the child myself or find someone I could trust to raise the child in my place. First, I had to tell Kurama.

I left for the human world immediately after breakfast and made it to Kurama's apartment before dusk. Kurama wasn't home yet but I could feel his energy nearing. Feeling tired from my long journey I sat down on the couch and closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the comfort of the sofa. The front door soon opened and Kurama entered the apartment, a huge smile on his face. "Hello Darkfire," he greeted as he way over to me. "Hi Fox," I replied. He frowned. "Darkfire, are you alright?" he asked. "I've been better," I admitted.

Kurama set down his briefcase and sat down beside me. "You don't look well," he noted. "I didn't sleep well last night," I admitted. "Why don't you take a nap while I make dinner then," he suggested. "Fox, there's something I need to tell you," I said. I immediately had his attention. "What is it Darkfire?" he asked. "I'm pregnant," I said. Kurama stared at me in shock. His expression became unreadable as he looked away. Unable to take his silence and inability to look at me I left the apartment and headed out into the night, not knowing where I was going to take shelter for the night.

I found my way to Kuwabara's home where I was sure my sister would be. I knocked on the door and as expected Kuwabara opened the door. He blinked in utter surprise. "Is Yukina here?" I asked him. "Yeah, come on in man," he replied. "Who is it Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked as Kuwabara moved aside to let me in. "Hiei," he said, not hiding the surprise in his voice.

I entered the room and Yusuke's eyes widened. "Hiei, you look like shit man. You ok?" he asked. "No, I'm not Detective. Where is Yukina?" I replied. "In the kitchen with Keiko," he told me. I gave a nod of thanks and headed into the kitchen. Keiko looked up with interest as I entered the kitchen. "Hiei, it's been a while since we've seen you. How have you been?" she inquired. "I've been better," I replied, remembering the social grace that Kurama had showed me. "I need to speak to Yukina alone," I told her. "Of course," Keiko said as she picked up a serving tray then headed out of the kitchen to leave Yukina and me alone.

"Hiei-san, what's wrong?" Yukina asked as soon as Keiko was out of earshot. "There's something I need to ask you," I began. "What is it?" she asked. "Did anyone on the island ever tell you how the ice apparitions reproduce without men?" I asked her. "Yes, but why do want to know?" she inquired. "It's important," I replied. "The elders have told us that every hundred years an ice maiden gives birth to a daughter, but in order to do so she must have a partner one willing to help her as the babe grows," She said. "What if she has no partner?" I asked. "The baby could die," Yukina replied. I felt ill at the thought of my child dying before it could even be born. I quickly found a chair and sat down before my legs could fail me. "Why would the baby die?" I asked her hoping I could keep my child from dying. "The baby needs energy from two sources and will only accept energy from it's mother and her partner," She said.

"Hiei, why are you asking me all this?" Yukina asked me. "I needed to know," I told her. "Yes, but why?" she inquired. "I can't answer your question right now Yukina. I need to get home," I said as I managed to stand at my feet. "Is it my brother? Is he in trouble?" she asked. I nodded slowly. I knew I should tell her the truth, that I was the brother that she had been looking for all these years, but the words wouldn't come to my lips. It would take time to explain everything to her and I was too tired and worried about the baby I carried to do it at that moment. "Please Hiei-san, if you know where he is then take me to him," she pleaded.

I sighed, "Yukina what if I told you that your brother is not someone he feels you can be proud of, a man who's committed numerous crimes including murder. Would you still want to know him?" I asked. "Of course, he's the only family I have left Hiei-san. I don't care what he's done in the past, nor do I even need to know what he's done. I just want to meet him and see that he's alive and well," she replied. "He's alive Yukina, just not very well at the moment," I thought.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you that your brother may not be the kind of man you expected him to be," I told her. "Come with me back to Mukuro's palace and I'll see about arranging for you to meet him," I continued, deciding not to promise her anything in case I lost my courage to tell her at the last moment. "Hiei-san that's such a long journey to make and I can see you're exhausted. You need rest," she replied. "I know, but we have to leave now," I told her, unwilling to stay in the Human World another minute.

"Let's see if Yusuke will let us borrow that bird of his," I suggested, putting her fears to rest. Puu could fly us there in an hour or less and it would certainly be less dangerous than making the long trek through the Makai. Yukina brightened and before I could stop her she was heading out of the kitchen. I got up and followed her into the living room where she was already asking Yusuke for Puu's use. The detective agreed and before long we were on the back of the massive blue phoenix heading back to Mukuro's palace.

An hour later, as Yukina and I dismounted I could see the worry in the detective's face as I carefully dismounted from Puu's back. "Hiei, you really don't look so hot. Did you want me to bring Kurama…?" he began but I cut him off. "No," I said quickly. Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Ok, you two aren't having troubles are you?" he inquired. "He doesn't need to see me like this," I replied. Yusuke seemed to accept my answer, but tossed me a communicator, which I caught, but not with as much ease as I would have normally. "If you need anything or Yukina's ready to come back, just call," he said. I nodded and headed inside with Yukina on my heels.

After arranging for a guest room for Yukina and seeing that she was taken care of I headed back to my own room, undressed and climbed into my empty bed. Exhaustion took hold of me and I quickly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

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Looks like trouble for our star couple. Will Hiei reveal to Yukina that he is her brother, or will he back out at first oppertunity? You'll have to read the next chapter to find out.

Read and reveiw,

Yami


	3. Chapter 3

Vows

by Yami Yue

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Chapter Three

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I awoke the next morning still feeling tired. I rolled over on my side and tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. The image of Kurama turning his head away haunted me. There was no doubt in my mind he was disgusted with me. I didn't blame him. What male could get pregnant? The very idea was inconceivable, and defied the very laws of nature. Yet, here I was carrying a child, Kurama's child. He had probably never expected to bear children and I was able to provide him with them. It was just too bad we didn't know of my freakish ability beforehand, this whole mess would have been avoided and I would probably be with my fox now, waking up next to him after an exhausting night of lovemaking or pleasant evening for two.

I sighed as I rolled onto my back. There was no point in wishing that it hadn't happened. Though I had hoped Kurama would be able to accept my condition, he had turned away from me. Yukina's revelation at the baby needing more than just my energy bothered me just as much as Kurama's rejection. The baby was constantly draining my energy, it needed someone else's energy to supplement it's growth as well, but would it accept anyone else's energy besides Kurama's? If not, would the babe die within me or would I be the one to die in the end so that my child could live? We could both die, both of us not having enough energy to sustain life. That was the last thing I wanted to happen.

For the first time in my life, I truly feared death and not just my death, but the death of my child. Despite all that had happened, I still loved Kurama, and our child was created out of our love for each other. I had never felt more alone than I had now. I desperately needed someone to ease that feeling of lonliness, but the problem was the only person I felt would help ease the worst of my fears had also had a hand in creating them in the first place. I needed Kurama, yet I dreaded and desired to see him. I wanted to make him understand that I couldn't do this alone as much as I wished that I could.

There was no going back to the human world for me, I no longer had the energy for such a long trip, even on Puu's back. Even if I could and I got Kurama to help me through my preganancy, would he even stay or walk away from me when it was all over? Did I dare get my hopes up that Kurama and I could actually remain together and be a family with the child we had created?

A soft knock at the door caught my attention. I could feel Yukina's energy on the other side. "Hiei-san are you awake?" she asked softly. Although I didn't feel like getting out of bed, I felt I owed it to her to at least open the door and allow her inside after bringing her all this way. I got out of bed and immediately realized I'd neglected to put on any bedclothes the night before. "Just a minute," I replied, frowning at the rough sound in my voice. I retrieved a pair of sleeping pants and a shirt from the dresser and put them on before opening the door for my sister.

I headed back to the bed as she entered the room and laid back down. "You don't look well Hiei-san," she said. "I'm just tired Yukina," I told her. "You slept all morning and nearly the whole afternoon, that's more than just tired," she replied. "It's afternoon?" I asked her. She nodded "Late afternoon," she told me. "Hiei-san you're ill aren't you?" she asked. I shook my head. "This isn't an illness Yukina," I said.

Yukina shut the door behind her and sat down next to me on the bed. "If not an illness then what is it?" she asked. I closed my eyes, not able to meet her gaze. "You said that you didn't care if your brother was a criminal, a murderer, that you wanted to meet him regardless," I noted. "That doesn't matter to me Hiei-san, I just want to meet him and if he wants get to know him," she said. "You've already met him Yukina and you've gotten to know him even though you didn't know he was your brother," I told her. She grasped my arm making me open my eyes. "Who is he?" she asked me. I swallowed hard, my heart was pounding in my chest as I opened my mouth to answer. Suddenly, she blinked and her eyes widened. "You're my brother, aren't you Hiei-san?" she asked softly.

I looked away unable to meet her gaze. "Yes," I answered. "I hoped it would be," she said. I turned to look at her in surprise. "Why?" I asked her. "Because, you've been like a brother to me since I came to stay in the human world," she answered. "I couldn't imagine feeling the same way about anyone else," she said. A soft smile crossed my lips. "But, why did you wait until now to tell me?" she asked me. "I thought you'd be better off without knowing who I really was, but after last night I couldn't keep it from you any longer," I told her. "What changed your mind?" she asked me. I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant Yukina, and I don't know what the hell I'm going to do," I said.

"Is Kurama the father?" Yukina asked. "Yes, but when I told him, he couldn't even bear to look at me," I said. "What did he say?" she asked me. "He didn't say anything. He just turned his head away from me and closed his eyes," I replied. The pain from the fox's rejection stung anew and I could feel moisture prickling at my eyes. "I thought he loved me Yukina," I said as my sister gently wiped the tears from my eyes that were threatening to spill over my cheeks. "Just give him a little time, maybe he'll come around," she said. "Don't give up on him yet," she added as she gently brushed some stray hair from my face.

My eyes met hers. "Yukina, what am I going to do? I don't want my baby to die," I murmured. "I'll do all I can to help you prevent that," Yukina assured me. I closed my eyes, glad that I at least had my sister to help me. I began feeling sleepy again and yawned. I felt Yukina's energy washing over me and relaxed further. When she withdrew her energy I felt a little better.

"Go see Kairi and tell her I brought you here to help her with me. She's a healer the best one here," I told her. ""You'll need to tell Kairi about the baby using my energy, you don't have to tell her anything else you know unless you want to, but do not tell her that I'm your brother. Although I trust her, I do not want that to be common knowledge. I have too many enemies who would hurt you to get to me and I don't want that to happen," I added. "Alright, get some rest," she agreed, then kissed my cheek and rose from the bed. I gently took hold of her arm and opened my eyes to look into hers. "Stay just a little longer," I requested. She smiled and sat back down beside me.

She began to hum softly and my eyes closed once again, soothed by the soft melody and comforted by my sister's presence. Her voice seemed to fade away as I felt the gentle tug of sleep. As I faded from consciousness I hoped that together Yukina and Kairi would find a way to save my baby and me.

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Looks like Hiei has more help now, but will it be enough? What about Kurama? Will the fox show up looking for his dragon, or is Hiei right and it really is over for them? or will the fox be too late regardless? Read on to find out.

- Yami


	4. Chapter 4

Vows  
by Yami Yue

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Chapter Four

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When I awoke, Yukina was sitting in a plush chair beside the bed. The room was lit softly, but it was dark outside. "Kairi came to check on you a few hours ago. She said the baby's fine," Yukina told me. "I slept all day," I noted. "Off and on," she said. "Kairi told me that you stayed awake long enough to eat something for lunch and use the facilities," she added. I didn't remember even seeing Kairi or eating lunch. "This kid is taking more out of me than I thought," I thought as Yukina continued on. "Yusuke called, he said Kurama came looking for you after we left the other night," she informed me. I frowned, why would he come looking for me? "I still believes he loves you," she continued. I wasn't as sure as she was, but I didn't comment. Still, some part of me hoped that she was right. I didn't want to truly believe that Kurama would just toss me away so easily, like others had done to me in the past. Until now, our relationship had been the best thing that had ever happened to me. I'd given him my heart and I still wanted to believe that Kurama had given me his in exchange.

"How long have you been sitting here?" I asked her as I slowly sat up. "An hour or two," she answered. "You didn't have to stay here. You could have had Yusuke send that bird of his to take you home," I said. "Hiei, you're my brother. I can't just leave you like this. You need my help this time and I already told you I'd help you as much as I could," she replied. I got out of bed and stretched, feeling the ache in my body from lying down so long. Yukina rose from her seat and headed for the door. "I'll get you something to eat," she said. "Don't hurry. I need a shower first," I told her, knowing the hot water would soothe my aching body. "Alright," she agreed then left the room, giving me privacy.

I gathered some clean clothing and headed for the bathroom. I turned on the water in the shower to let it warm up to a decent temperature. As I undressed, I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like I hadn't slept in days and felt groggy after such a long sleep. I had put on a few pounds over the last few weeks and I hoped that when this was all over, all the years of fighting and training that had kept my body fit would not have gone to waste. Call it vanity if you want, but I was proud of my body, especially after Kurama took such an interest in me. I stepped into the shower nearly sighing with relief as the warm spray came in contact with my sore body. "Would Kurama really come here to seek me out?" I wondered as I began to bathe myself. "For what? He can't still want me, can he?" I mused. I quickly tried to push those thoughts aside not wanting to get my hopes up, but the dream I'd had while I'd been sleeping for so long came to mind just as swiftly. I'd dreamed that he had come back to me and we were raising our child together, we were family, and a happy one at that. As much as I wanted that dream to come true I didn't dare allow myself to believe it would come true in fear that it would just be another broken dream and my heart would be shattered to pieces.

I finished my shower and reached for a towel after shutting off the water. It felt odd to use the towel to dry myself after years of just using my energy to do the job, but the towel got the job done and I got dressed, then exited the bathroom feeling a lot better than I had when I'd gone in. A maid had come in and changed the bedding while I had showered and tableware had been set up on my desk. My stomach growled at the thought of dinner soon being served. There was a knock at the door and I opened it, feeling Yukina's energy on the other side. My sister entered the room with a tray. She smiled softly. "Feel a little better?" she asked me as she walked over to the desk and set the tray down on it. I nodded. "I still feel drained," I told her as I shut the door behind her. I followed her over to the desk. I was glad that Yukina had brought a large amount of food, and I was sure I could eat it all with no problem. However, I didn't think she'd brought it all for me. "Where's the extra plate?" I asked her as I sat down at the desk. "For what?" she asked me. "Aren't you eating?" I asked her. She shook her head. "I ate with Kairi while you took your shower," she said. "Go ahead, your body needs the extra energy," she encouraged. I didn't need her to ask a second time. and began eating. The moment I took the first bite, I realized just how hungry I really was. I was starving as though I hadn't eaten all day, though Kairi had told Yukina otherwise. It wasn't long before I finished off all the food on my tray. Once I had eaten I began feeling sleepy again. "Maybe Kairi should check you over again tomorrow," she suggested. I nodded in agreement, then brushed my teeth and went back to bed. Yukina sat down beside me and transferred some her energy to me as she had earlier, while humming that soothing tune she'd hummed before.

I hadn't realized I'd drifted off to sleep until I'd awakened the next morning to someone knocking at the door. "Lord Hiei? Are you awake?" Kairi asked from the other side. "Come in," I said, not feeling at all like getting out of bed. She entered the room closing the door behind her. A soft frown upon her face. "How do you feel?" she asked me. "Tired," I told her. "You look better than yesterday, but you're loosing energy faster than you should be," she told me. "Why?" I asked her. "The baby is draining your energy at a faster rate than your body can handle," the healer told me. "You're going to need someone to transfer energy to you constantly or you and the baby both won't survive much longer at this rate," she continued as she sat down upon a cushion placed on my side of the bed. "Then do it," I said as I rolled over onto my back. Kairi closed her eyes and I felt her energy wash over me just as it had before, only this time I began to feel it enter me. By the time she withdrew her energy I didn't feel as tired as I had before. "That should be sufficient for a little while," she told me. "I'll come back in a few hours to check on you again," she told me as she rose from the cushion. I yawned and nodded ready to take a long nap, despite my new boost in energy. My eyes slid closed only to fly open again at the feel of someone gently shaking my shoulder. I hadn't even realized I had even been asleep, but it was no longer morning from what I could tell. Kairi looked at me, watching my face. "Lord Hiei, I want to check on you and the baby now," she said. I sighed with annoyance but slowly moved into a sitting position so she could help me remove my shirt. I laid back down again and closed my eyes as Kairi placed her hands upon my abdomen. A soft moan of pleasure escaped my lips as she transferred a little bit of energy to me.

Suddenly, the door opened breaking her concentration. My eyes snapped open at the withdrawal of her energy and I turned my head ready to kill whoever had interrupted us. They widened in shock when I saw Kurama standing in the doorway looking anything but pleased. His golden eyes were ice cold as he glared at Kairi. "Kindly take your hands off him and leave," Kurama said, his tone cool and even. The healer glanced at me and I gave a slight nod. Quickly, she rose from the cushion at the side of the bed and left the room, casting a worried glance over her shoulder as she went. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. "I think the better question is what was _she_ doing here?" Kurama responded as he shut the door behind himself and made his way over to the bed. "Her job," I told him. "Her job?" he repeated. "Just how long has this been going on?" he demanded. I glared at him. "What is wrong with you?" I snapped at him. "What the hell do you think is wrong?" he hissed back. "I come here to talk to you and I walk in on _this_," he said motioning to me in the bed. "I never thought that you'd betray me like this Hiei," he said turning toward the door. Confused and angry at his behavior, I sat up. "I never thought you'd betray me either, Kurama, but you made it perfectly clear the other night, that you can't even stand the sight of me anymore," I hissed. Feeling suddenly exhausted I laid back down and closed my eyes. "Get out," I told him. "Wait a minute Hiei, …." He began, but I cut him off. "Out, now," I growled as I rolled over onto my side, turning my back to him.

A sudden pain in my abdomen made me cry out. "Kairi!" I yelled. The door flew open and I could hear footsteps dashing into the room. "Lord Hiei, what's wrong?" she asked. "Pain, abdomen," I gasped out. "Yukinia help me lay him on his back," Kairi said. Suddenly, I was on my back with my sister and Kairi looking down worriedly on me. "Give him some of your energy while I examine him," she instructed. As I felt Yukina's energy enter me the pain began to lessen but I began to feel sleepy. My eyes began to slide closed and the last thing I saw before they shut completely was Kurama's worried face.

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To be continued....

Does anyone know how to get more space between the paragraphs? I've tried several times in document manager to no avail. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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	5. Chapter 5

Vows  
by Yami Yue

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Chapter Five

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-

When I awoke again, Kurama was sitting beside my bed. I looked at him in confusion as I opened my eyes. "What are you still doing here?" I asked softly. "I wanted to apologize," he said. "Yukina told me everything," he said. "What do you have to apologize for?" I asked him. "For starters, making such a scene earlier. I thought Kairi was your lover, not your doctor," he said. "Lover?" I asked in surprise. "What made you think that?" I questioned. "Well, you were half naked and her hands were quite low on you," he answered. I glared at him. "I thought you knew me better than that," I said. "I think that's what made me so angry. I never would have thought you would cheat on me yet, when I walked in I saw a woman in your room looking like she was taking your clothes off, I must have lost all reason," he said, looking away. "I'm sorry Darkfire," he murmured."I'm also sorry that I didn't get to you sooner after you left the apartment," he said. "Why?" I asked him. "Hiei, you told Yukina that I couldn't bear to look at you, but that isn't true," he answered. "I was trying to process this in my mind, trying to think of something I could say to you," he told me. "So, you're not disgusted with me?" I asked him. Kurama shook his head. "No, Darkfire I _love_ you," he replied as he caressed my face lovingly. I sighed with relief. "I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression Love, I was just in shock," he said as he took my hand in his. For a long while we said nothing, just sat quietly holding hands."So, am I forgiven?" he asked. I chuckled. "Yes, I forgive you, but that doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you," I replied. He smiled and leaned in close. "I guess I'll have to just try my best to make you forget that you're mad at me," he said then gently kissed my lips. I kissed him in return, enjoying the feel of his lips against mine. It was good to have my fox back.

-

"You're really pregnant?" he asked. "Yes Fox," I replied. "How is that possible?" he questioned. "A talent I got from my mother apparently, but I needed your help for this to actually happen," I informed him. He said nothing, looking rather thoughtful. "Hiei do _you _want to have this baby?" he asked me. "Before I answer that, what do _you_ want Fox?" I asked him. "I'll admit, I am concerned for your health, but Yukina assures me that if the baby takes energy from me, you both will be fine. I don't see any reason why we can't be a family if you're willing to have this child," Kurama replied. "This is our baby Fox, of course I'm willing to have it," I said."It looks like we're going to need a bigger house than we originally thought," he said. "You want to raise our child in the Human World?" I asked him in disbelief. I shook my head. "No child of mine is going to be humanized," I said. "Darkfire, we'll teach our baby all about his or her demon nature and his or her abilties. Our baby will not be humanized, as you so elequently put it, but living among humans and even that won't be forever," he reminded me. "Please Darkfire, I want you to move in with me, it will be safer for you in the Human World while you're pregnant, and Yukina said that you and the baby will need energy transfers and that mine would be best. That will be easier if you're with me," he said. "Besides, it will give me the opportunity to spoil you rotten," he murmured. "What about Kairi?" I asked him. "Well, we can rent a home until we find the one we wish to live in permanently that way she can stay with us, Yukina too," he answered. What Kurama was proposing made a lot of sense. I hadn't been able to perform border patrol duties for weeks now and the others were starting to wonder what sort of illness had struck me down. "Alright Fox, you sold me. We'll do this your way," I said. Kurama kissed my cheek, relief evident on his face.

-

He got up from his seat at the side of the bed and let my hand go. He walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down beside me. He placed his hands on my abdomen and closed his eyes. His eyes flew open in astonishment, then a soft smile played upon his lips. "I think the baby likes my energy," he said. I smiled, feeling the pull from my energy lessen."Good," I said. "You really scared me earlier. I thought I was going to loose you, both of you," he confessed. "What happened?" I asked him. "Your energy dropped to a dangerous level, Darkfire," he replied. "It was my fault. If I hadn't interrupted Kairi when she was transferring energy to you it wouldn't have happened. I nearly got you both killed," He mumured. "But you didn't," I told him. "Thanks to Kairi and Yukina," he said. "Fox, even if you hadn't inturrupted Kairi, we don't know if our baby would have continued to tolerate her transferring energy to me, it was just a shot in the dark that worked," I told him. We manuvered so that I was lying on my side. He rubbed my back and I sighed with relief feeling the ache slowly dissapear. Once done he held me close. "Do you think we'll have a son or daughter?" he asked quietly. "I'm hoping it's a boy, but if it's a girl we'll love her just the same," I answered. "Besides if we had a daughter any suitor of hers would have to deal with not only one overprotective father but two,' I added, making Kurama laugh. "I agree completely with you Love, although raising a girl might prove interesting," he said. "We're going to have to start using some method of birth control or we're going to end up with a whole litter of kits before we know it," he said as he withdrew his energy. "Feel better?" he asked me. "Much," I replied. "Good," he said as he kissed my cheek. "I need to go now and get things ready for us. I'll be back as soon as I can,"he told me. I took hold of his arm before he could get off the bed. He looked at me curiously as I sat up. I claimed his lips in a warm, loving kiss. He didn't hesitate to kiss me back with a loving but lingering kiss of his own. Once we broke the kiss we just looked into one another's eyes for a long moment, both of us relcutant to go our separate ways as usual. This time I was the one to break the silence."Don't be gone too long, your kit will need another energy feeding and I'm going to want another backrub," I teased him. Kurama chuckled. "I'll be back to take care of both of you and take you home soon," he assured me. I released my hold on his arm and watched sadly as he walked out of the room. I felt the baby's energy flutter and I smiled. "You miss your daddy already huh?" I asked the baby. "I do too," I told the baby.

-

* * *

Well, it looks like our star couple have patched things up, but there's still more to come.

Stay tuned,

Yami

PS. Sorry for the little - inbetween the pagragraphs but it creates the spacing I needed for the paragraphs. that little one line space bugged me.


	6. Chapter 6

Vows  
by Yami Yue

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

The sun was setting upon the Makai. I stood on the balcony watching as evening slowly became night. The sunset was beautiful and I wished that Kurama was there to share it with me. As if my desire to have him near me had summoned him, I felt his spirit energy. The baby's energy began to flutter in response as if glad that his or her father had returned. If this baby turned out to be a girl no doubt she'd have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. It wasn't long before he'd reached the bedroom door and soon he was by my side on the balcony.

"That was pretty quick Fox, couldn't stand to be away from us any longer?" I teased.

"I think I've been away from you and the baby long enough," he replied with a smile.

He gave me a tender kiss. He gently put his arms around me placing his hands over my abdomen. He held me like that while we watched the sunset. The strain of the last few days seemed to melt away as the baby fed from his energy.

"I see the baby missed me too," he murmured, obviously pleased.

"Yes, the baby has been looking for you all day," I told him.

"Oh?" he asked.

"I can feel the changes in the baby's energy now, it flutters like when you have butterflies in your stomach when the baby senses you," I told him.

"Interesting, I guess it means the baby's happy," he said. I smiled.

"So am I," I told him.

Once the sun had set, the baby had taken it's fill of Kurama's energy. The baby's energy was calm now, and I realized that I hadn't felt that calmness in the baby's energy before Kurama had transferred his energy to it for the first time earlier today. I also began to feel more energetic since I found out I was pregnant. It was all too clear to me that even though Yukina and Kairi had transferred energy to me it wouldn't have been enough to last throughout the whole pregnancy.

"Yusuke is going to allow us to stay at one of the guest houses at the temple," Kurama said.

I nodded. It made more sense than being in the city.

"You didn't tell him about the baby did you?" I asked him.

"No, I just told him I wanted to care for you for a while and needed a lot of privacy," he replied.

"He offered to let us use one of the temple's guesthouses," He added.

I never would have thought Yusuke and Keiko would have taken over Genkai's temple after she passed on but they had and were doing a good job of it.

"We can leave tomorrow if you want," Kurama said. "I'll let Kairi know so she can prepare for the trip," I told him.

"We'll need to put off the wedding for a while," I told him.

"Yukina estimates the pregnancy will last about nine months or so," I added.

"Then we'll get married next year on our anniversary," Kurama said. "The baby will be old enough to be eating solid foods, probably walking and talking too by then. We can enjoy a nice honeymoon and not have to worry about our kit, who I'm sure my mother will jump at the chance to babysit," he said as we made our way inside.

We made ourselves comfortable on the bed, maneuvering so that Kurama was sitting up against the headboard of our bed, and I was lying against him with his legs on either side of me. He never let his hands loose contact with my abdomen. There was a knock at the door but we were both too comfortable to get up to get it.

"Who is it?" I demanded.

"It's Kairi Lord Hiei," came the healer's voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in," I said. The door opened and Kairi entered.

Kairi smiled at the scene that greeted her when she entered the room. She bid us good evening then pulled the chair at the desk beside the bed and sat down in it. Kurama removed his hands from my abdomen so that he would not be in the way of her examination. Our kit protested the loss of it's father's energy by repelling Kairi's when she began to examine me. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she giggled.

"Looks like baby wants Daddy back," she said to Kurama.

"Probably pissed because you interrupted the kit's feeding," I said making Kurama laugh.

"Yes, it would seem our kit has taken a liking to my energy," he agreed.

"Lord Kurama if you'd place your hands at Lord Hiei's sides and feed the baby a little more of your energy I can start checking him first and perhaps the baby will be satisfied before I examine it," she said.

Kurama nodded and placed his hands on my sides and began feeding the baby some of his energy while I felt Kairi's energy wash over me.

"How is the nausea?" she asked me.

"Nearly gone now," I answered. "Good," she responded.

"And the fatigue?" she asked me.

"Better now that Kurama's been helping," I answered. She smiled.

"Well, you're definitely in better condition now. Lord Kurama has been taking excellent care of you," she said.

"I can't take all the credit, you and Yukina have helped him immensely," Kurama said as he withdrew his hands from my sides and gently held one of my hands in his.

Kairi then began her examination of the baby. I felt her energy wash over me again and then through me. Yukina had been of help to Kairi as well, keeping her updated on the exams she performed almost weekly in-between Kairi's examinations. I watched as she closed her eyes in concentration only for them to fly open in surprise a moment later.

"What is it?" Kurama asked before I could.

"I think I found something. Let me check again just to be sure," she said as she closed her eyes again.

I could feel her energy stronger now as it washed over me from within. We waited anxiously as she went through her examination. Each moment seemed to drag on forever as we waited to see what if anything she had found.

Finally she withdrew her energy and opened her eyes.

"Is the baby alright?" Kurama and I asked in unison.

"Perfectly healthy from what I can tell, but you're not having one baby you're having twins," she told us.

"Twins?!" we exclaimed in surprise. Kairi nodded.

"Yes, twins," she confirmed.

"Kairi, Hiei will be able to handle this right? Is there anything we should be worried about?" he asked her.

"As long as Lord Hiei continues to improve in health I don't see anything you should worry about except buying two of everything for your children," she reassured him.

I could hardly believe it. Kurama and I were having twins. I supposed it was better that this happened now instead of after we had had wed. There was no way of knowing I was capable of bearing children. At least I was comforted in the fact that Kurama was handling this well, and that I wouldn't have to go through this alone and that our children would have their father.

"We're still going to need your help Kairi," Kurama said.

"I've arranged a place for us to stay in the Human World, Hiei and I would like it very much if you would accompany us and monitor the pregnancy with Yukina," He said to her.

Kairi smiled. "It would be my pleasure Lord Kurama," she replied. "I thank you for the honor," she added.

"We're leaving in the morning, if you want to come with us then it's fine or you can take more time if you wish," I said.

"I'll go pack," she informed me and headed out of the room.

* * *

A few days later, we finally broke the news to our friends and family. Although stunned by the fact that I, a male was carrying two babies within me, they were all happy for us once they got over the shock, even Kuwabara, who had looked as though he were going to have a heart attack.

"So how are they even going to get _out_ of you?" he'd asked. "I mean you're still a guy, you can't give birth like woman right?" he inquired.

Kurama frowned slightly. "It will be a cesarean section," he told Kuwabara.

The fox wasn't too happy at the idea of me having to be cut open, but there was no other option. Kuwabara nodded, obviously intrigued about the news.

"Uh, am I the only one worried that in a few months there will be two little Hiei's running around?" Kuwabara asked teasingly earning a glare from me.

"Don't forget they're half Kurama too Kuwabara," Botan reminded him.

"Hiei's temper with Kurama's cunning, even more reason to be afraid I'd say," Yusuke teased as he rose from his seat next to Keiko.

"Oh yes, be afraid, be very afraid," Botan teased Kuwabara, making the large man blush.

"Have you decided on names for the babies yet?" Keiko asked.

Kurama nodded. "Kenshin or Kenji for a boy, Kimi or Sakura for a girl," He said.

"Well, this is cause for a celebration," Yusuke declared.

In no time Yusuke and the others had gotten a party started.

While Kurama went to get something for me to eat Shiori sat down next to me.

"Shuichi seems very happy about all this," she said. "He is, he just worries too much," I replied. She chuckled.

"His father was that way when I was carrying him," she said. "It's sweet," she added. I nodded.

"What about you? Are you nervous?" she asked me.

"I am," I admitted. "I'm excited as well, but in the back of my mind I worry as well that something may go wrong," I admitted.

"If anything happens to me, no doubt Kurama will blame himself, and his relationship with the kits will not be as it should," I said.

"But, I'm counting on Kairi and Yukina to make sure everything goes well. I have faith in their abilities and so does he," I added.

Shiori nodded and gave me a soft smile. "If you need to talk to me about _anything_ you know you can call me," she told me. "Thank you," I said.

* * *

Over the next few months, my body went through many changes. Thankfully, Kairi and Shiori were there to help me adapt to them. Kurama continued to assure me that he found me attractive even as my belly grew and my body changed. All our friends and family chipped in to help us prepare for the babies and support us as the birth of our kits grew nearer. As I reached the final month of my pregnancy, a date was set for the cesarean section, but the kits had minds of their own.

Two nights before the c-section was scheduled, I was awakened by the violent kicking of my twins. I felt their energy flaring erratically.

"Fox, get Kairi," I groaned.

He was out of bed in a flash and heading out of the house. In moments he was back with Kairi and Yukina. Everything began happening so fast after that. Kurama numbed me with one of his plants while Kairi and Yukina worked to bring our kits into the world. The smell of blood permeated the air as they worked and soon I heard the wail of a baby.

"It's a boy," Kairi cried over my son's wailing as Yukina handed him to Keiko who had also arrived to help. A second cry pierced the air as the second twin.

"Another boy," Kairi announced as Keiko brought the first twin. She was smiling.

"He's gorgeous Hiei," she said as she placed him gently in my arms. He had a head full of jet black hair, but no fox ears or tail.

Our son definitely was a blend of the two of us, though his hair was the same color as mine and his eyes were closer to my color than Kurama's.

"Hello Kenshin, welcome to the world," Kurama murmured to the baby. A few moments later, Keiko brought over our second son. Kurama took Kenshin from me and I took my second son from Keiko. The boys were identical with the same black hair and face.

"How are we going to tell them apart?" I asked.

The little one in my arms yawned and blinked at me and the answer was revealed to me. This kit's eyes were a blend of green and gold. Kurama chuckled.

"I guess that answers your question Love," he said. The kit focused his eyes on me and I smiled.

"Hello, Kenji, welcome to the world," I said to him.

I felt two tears slide from my eyes. They hit the sheets solidifying into gems. Keiko picked them up and placed them on the nightstand for me. I gave her a silent thanks. Yukina and Kairi soon finished with we me and took Kenshin from Kurama for a thorough examination. I let Kurama bond with Kenji and closed my eyes for some rest before the onslaught of family and friends arrived.

* * *


	7. Epilouge

Vows  
by Yami Yue

* * *

Epilouge

* * *

I watched our one year old sons play in the yard, a soft smile upon my face. Kenshin and Kenji were both active toddlers, sometimes I had to keep all three eyes on them to make sure they didn't get into what they shouldn't. Although, I had hoped that Kurama and I would have found a home of our own by now, we had not found one suitable to our needs. Time had been a big issue as well. Between school, work and our family looking for a home had not be easy to fit into his busy schedule. Thankfully, he had graduated from college a few months ago and had been steadily looking for a job as a teacher. One offer in particular had been promising and though it was in another city, about an hour away from Sarayashiki, we both hoped that he would get the job.

The kits suddenly stopped their play and I made my way over to them, taking each one by the hand, before the bolted off.

"Come on kits, let's go welcome your daddy home," I said.

"Daddy home," Kenji crowed happily, his gold green eyes sparkling with joy.

"Daddy!" Kenshin cried as Kurama appeared in the yard. In a flash, the kit escaped my grasp and raced toward Kurama who caught him up in his arms.

"Hello Kenshin, did you have a good day?" he greeted as he set the kit on his shoulders.

"Yeah," the kit answered as they made their way over to us.

Kurama gave me a quick peck on the lips before setting Kenshin down on his feet.

"Up," Kenji requested holding out his arms to his father.

Kurama smiled and picked him up and set him on his shoulders. Kenshin took my hand and we headed inside.

"Did it go well today?" he asked me.

"Yeah, they had a good time out here this afternoon, and they went down for their nap after lunch without a problem," I told him.

"Great, let's hope they're as cooperative at bedtime," he replied as we entered the house.

Kurama set Kenji down on the floor and I took his hand leading the kits into the bathroom to wash their hands for dinner.

When I returned, Kurama was on the phone, listening intently on the person on the other end.

"Yes of course, thank you very much," he said then hung up the phone.

"What is it Fox?" I asked him as I picked up Kenji and placed him in his highchair.

"That was the college I was telling you about. They want to hire me for a short term class starting in the summer," he said with a smile as he picked up Kenshin and placed him in his highchair.

"We'll have to call the realtor in the morning and see if we can still make an offer on that house we saw the other day, when I went for the interview at the college," he said.

"That house needs a lot of work Fox," I reminded him.

"Yes, but It can be ready to for us to move into by the time we return from our honeymoon," He said.

"Alright, let's make the offer. I'm sure it will be one the owners can't refuse," I murmured.

Kurama the amount of money we'd acquired from selling some of our stolen goods from our days as thieves, we could afford to pay the owner whatever they asked. Besides,I had yet to meet anyone who could resist his charm. There was no doubt that house would be ours.

* * *

_Six months and two weeks later…_

I watched the scenery go by without really looking at it as Kurama drove down the highway. Kenshin and Kenji had already fallen asleep in the backseat of the car, securely strapped into their carseats. I smiled softly as my fingers brushed the gold band on my ring finger. Though we had to delay our wedding due to the unexpected arrival of our kits, Kurama and I had wed two weeks ago in a modest cermony. I had been amazed at the amout of people we had come to call family and friends. Our wedding day made me realize just how much my life had changed. Before I'd met Kurama, there was no one I could truly call friend. I trusted no one then, wanted no one. Now years later, I had several friends, love and a family. For so many years I'd felt as though I didn't belong anywhere. Now, I felt a sense of belonging I'd only dreamed of and I couldn't be happier.

I'd been so lost in thought that I didn't notice the car coming to a stop. Kurama smiled as he turned off the car's engine.

"We're home," he said softly.

I stretched and unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car, gently closing the car door so I wouldn't wake the twins. I stretched, enjoying the feel of being out of the vehicle. The hour long car ride from Kurama's mother's house had made me a little stiff. The fox had opened the back driver's side door and was carefully getting Kenshin out of his carseat.

"Wait here, I'll get the boys," he whispered to me.

I raised an eyebrow at his request in silent question. He just gave me one of his charming smiles and quickly headed into the house. I opened the back door on my side of the car and freed Kenji from the carseat's buckles. The kit didn't even stir from his sleep. I smiled, even at one and a half his personality was a lot like his father's, very curious, loving, and playful. Kenshin on the other hand, was more quick tempered like me and was beginning to move exceptionally quick for his age. Kurama and I suspected he'd have my speed. Keeping up with him was going to be a challenge.

I'd missed our boys during our two week honeymoon and so did Kurama, but it had been nice to spend so much time alone with each other. A blush rose to my cheeks as I recalled how we spent a lot of that time making love. Fortunately, we'd done a lot of research before our wedding and found a way to make sure I didn't get preganat again unless we wanted more children. It had been a true sex education and the fox was a masterful professor.

Kurama's eyes met mine as he came out of the house and there was no mistaking the gleam in his eyes. He gave me a warm smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. He removed Kenji from his carseat and winked at me as he walked past me carrying our son.

"Wait here," he said again. I looked at him quizically.

"Just humor me," he requested.

I agreed wordlessly and shut the remaining doors quietly and made sure the car was locked while I waited for my mate to return. I walked up to the porch and waited. The house had been sold to us and ready to move into before our wedding. Yusuke and the others had helped us move all of our things in and set up all the furnature. We'd gotten it all done just a day before the wedding and now all we had to do was go inside and enjoy our first night in our new home.

Kurama opened the front door and smiled at me. He came out onto the porch and quickly scooped me up in his arms.

"What are you doing Fox? I can walk," I protested.

"I know, but I wanted to carry you over the threshold, for good luck," he replied.

He carried me over the threshold, then quickly captured my lips in a warm, loving kiss as he shut the door with his foot. I returned it with one of my own. When we broke the kiss he nuzzled my neck.

"How about I carry you upstairs and we break in our new bed?" he purred in my ear.

"We'll wake the boys," I protested, knowing that I was quite vocal in bed.

"Don't worry, I've made precautions to prevent that," he assured me.

"Alright, but if we wake the boys, you're going to be the one to get them back to sleep," I warned him.

He smiled.

"Yes, my love," he murmured softly as we made our way toward the stairs.

It was good to be home.

* * *

The End

* * *

A big thanks to all who read and an extra big thanks to all who read and reviewed.


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